THE KIKUYU CONCORD.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14219, 17 February 1914, Page 8

THE KIKUYU CONCORD.

THE PRIMATE’S DECISION. BISHOP OF ZANZIBAR DISSENTS. Press Association—Telegraph- Copyright LONDON, Februarvv 16. The Bishop of Zanzibar, in a two column letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury, explains his reasons for dissent from the Primate’s decision. He argues that formal charges were intended to be submitted to the Primate officially, only if, after full enquiry, the two bishops refused to accept the Church’s judgment. He concludes by pleading for a definite settlement of the controversy. The Bishop of Zanzibar’s letter declares that a consultative body of bishops is likely to be regarded as a prejudiced committee of enquiry. Some members would represent the bishops who have already accepted a policy akin to Kikuyu. The Primate, who had already prejudged the case in his answer, would be, as chairman, both judge, jury and foreman. PRIMATE AND NON-CONFORMISTS. Hi57.V<P OF ZANZIBAR DISSENTS. Roreh’od February 17, 9.20 a.m. LONDON'. February 16. The Bishop of Zanzibar dissents from the Primate in describing the non-Con-lonnist bodies as branches of the Church of Christ. He. adds that this impresses the validity of their ministry. THE GREAT HERESY HUNT. WHAT WAS DONE AT KIKUYU. VILLAGE’S SUDDEN FAME. (Sydney Sun.) Very obscure places have suddenly leaped into immortality liecause some battle or some conference has taken place there; and Kikuyu, a village in British East Africa, hitherto known as a station on the Uganda railway, will go down in ecclesiastical history with famous names likes Arles and Chalcedone and Nice,'says the Ixuulon Star. The Church of England- is now convulsed with the greatest heresy-hunt that has smitten it since the days of Bishop Colenso, and it is curious that this schism should also arise in Africa.

began in this way. Last August a Presbyterian missionary in British East Africa wrote to the Scotsman an article reporting with pious triumph the success of a great reunion conference at Kikuyu, held in June. He reported for the first time to the jealous eyes of the Church at home this conference, which «was held to form, a federation of missionary societies: “It was the most wonderful gathering I ever saw. It had represented in it all the Protestant missions in the Protectorate—Church of England, Church of Scotland. the Africa Inland Mission (American). the Friends, Industrial Mission (Quakers), the United Methodists, the Lutheran Mission, and the Seventh Day Adventists. Bishop Willis, of Uganda, was in the chair, and Bishop Peel, of British East Africa, was in a front seat. On the right of Bishop Willis sat Dr. Arthur, of the Church of Scotland Mission, and on his left the secretary of the conference. The place of meeting was the schoolroom of the Church of Scotland Mission, and the subject of discussion was the federation of the missions in East Africa.” DIVIDED REGION—UNITED • WORKERS. The conference decided on a federation on the basis of the acceptance of the Apostles and Nicene Creeds as a general expression of fundamental Christian belief, with acceptance of the Holy Scriptures as the Word of God, the Deity of Jesus, and the Atonemelit. The scheme is to divide the Protectorate into “spheres,” so that the missions shall not poach on each other’s territory, and the Conference ended on that day with a service of Holy Communion in the Scottish Church at Kikuyu. Bishop Peel administered the Sacrament ; a minister of the Church of Scotland preached the sermon; and all the mission delegates received the Holy Communion from the Bishop’s hands.

BISHOP REBUKED. As soon as this news reached England the High Church Party began to protest. The Church Times, their leading organ, published an editorial article headed “Jer-ry-building,” at which it spoke of this ‘‘amazing conference” and sneered at the position of a native Christian who would be addressed in turn from the pulpit of his church by a Presbyterian, a Lutheran, a Seventh Day Adventist, and a Quaker. It protested that “such grotesque performances” could only “injure the cause of true Christian unity.” The controversy was spreading ail the autumn, until the Bishop of Zanzibar took the bull by the horns, by demanding that the Archbishop of Canterbury shall hear the Kikuyu matter in his Provincial Court. Bishop Weston says: “I have charged the Bishops of Monibassa and Uganda with heresy in their teaching of the meaning and value, of Episcopacy; I would also add that, to my mind, they and their followers are as seriously wrong in remaining in an Episcopal ministry, which is to them merely an outward form, and to which Protestant neighbours a rock of offence.” He protests that “we who deliver the whole Catholic faith to our people (in Zanzibar) are directly challenged to our faces by the two bishops who are within easiest reach of us, and our cause is by them betrayed into the hands of our Protestant neighbours. Our work is hindered, our witness is stultified ; we are made to appear as pretenders and imjiostors." ‘ Is it not quite clear, thou (he asks), that unless the ‘Ecclesia Anglieana' purge itself of heresy and eschew schism, her missions have no future? They will be crushed out between the two opposing forces of the Roman and Protestant Missions.”

CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. The Bishops of Uganda and Mombassa are not without allies. The Church Missionary Society Committee has passed a resolution which, without absolutely assenting to details, declares that the committee whole-heartedly sympathise with the Bishops of Mombassa and Uganda and their brethren in their desire for fuller co-opovation and advance along the pathway towards such re-union as may eventually be according to God’s purposes. The most striking result of the bitter controversy is a letter which the Bishop of Durham lias sent to the Times. Dr. Handley Moule is the leader of the Low Church minority among the clergy, and he declares that the action of the two bishops is not heretical. And thus suddenly within a few months lias Kikuyu become famous, and'the end is not yet in sight.